Fatal Love
by Videl S
Summary: A different take on the friendship between Severus Snape and James Potter in their days as students at Hogwarts. This is A Snape and James fan-piece, in a flashback format. **Caution: Book Seven Spoilers!**


**FATAL LOVE**

A Harry Potter Fan Piece

Severus Snape roamed the hallway of his home for most of the year, a wondrous and grand palace of education Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. It was a tall castle filled with ghosts, magic, and mystery. It was a frigid autumn Saturday morning. The sun had barely risen in the horizon, and its miraculous beams of light flooded the sky illuminating translucent clouds that painted it. The boy walked, moping, and he was slightly slouched. He had long greasy black hair that hung stringy into his face.

He blinked, and the future flashed into freighting perspective. Snape held a gaping hole in his neck desperately, as the master that he had once served strode away satisfied. This man pale as the moon with two snake light slits for eyes disappeared into darkness, his eyes fixated on a mysterious wand, the Elder wand.

Nothing would make a difference now though. He had accepted Dumbledore's offer, and in doing so he had ultimately selected his own fate as well. He had to accept death as he had taken up the tasks, and soon they would be complete.

Liquid red trickled down the man's neck, and he felt a flashing before his eyes. There was something he wanted to remember; something about his life…_what is it?_ He wanted to remember a time when he truly was happy…He wanted to go in peace. Severus let himself succumb to the blackness once again, and then in a flash he was _conscious_ again. He was back in the hall, watching himself as if he was in Dumbledore's pensieve. The vile pain that screamed from his neck had disappeared; it was gone like he was in this setting, unnoticeable.

The memory Snape was walking again, silently in the halls. He looked like he was a sixth year student, just old enough to be taking N.E.W.T level classes. He was just taking a stroll to watch the glittering sunlight, that which was his only friend, beside Lily Evans. Severus noticed a solitary James Potter, also looking at the sunrise.

"It's so beautiful isn't it…?" James said, sensing a presence. He was sitting on a high windowsill, leaning against his legs. The sun seemed to eventuate his handsome features; his shaggy dark hair, his pale skin, and his athletic figure; he _was_ after all the Gryffindor seeker. He wasn't the usual obnoxious James that was taunting, and rude.

A warm feeling erupted inside of Snape's stomach, and his cheeked burned a light fuchsia colour. Quickly he tried to walk along, not being noticed. He couldn't help however, the tempting urge to sneak a few quick glances at the attractive boy, and without hesitance gave in. Then, as Snape was removing James from view, he spoke suddenly,

"Oh, look who it is! _Snivillus_!" Snape stopped dead in his tracks, his heart pounding, as if he was a deer in hiding, caught by its predator. He closed his eyes.

"Get it over with…" he exhaled. James sighed, and walked so that he was in front of Snape, eye to eye. Snape looked downwards. "I was _just teasing_…Truth is, I've always kind of admired you _Snape_. I wish I could be so smart! You are amazing at potions…I don't even know if I can pass my N.E.W.T class!" James suddenly looked somewhat pathetic.

"I could always…try and help you…" Snape said quietly, his insides in a rush of nerves.

"What?"

"I could be your tutor…?"

"Would you _really _do that?! Even after all the crap I have given you…?" James asked in disbelief.

"Sure…"

"Thanks, _Snape…_"

Images rushed by Snape, images of many sessions with James, laughing together, goofing around, both of them just being friends. Then the scene stopped once again, and the man was at a standstill. In this vision, he stood alone in Slughorn's classroom with James. The potions master had allowed them to use the classroom to study, and he trusted Snape, because he was such a good student.

The two were cleaning out their cauldrons, and putting away all of the materials and for some reason James was giving Snape an odd look.

"Thank you." He said out of the blue.

"What?!" asked Snape, surprised and confused, "Oh no problem…" he added with a grin.

"You don't understand…it really means a lot. You have helped me this entire year, and my potions marks couldn't be better. You have done a lot for me man." Snape just stared at him nervously, but James continued, "I can't believe I am actually going to say this, but, Snape, I really like you…"

Snape stared at James harder, looking into his beautiful deep brown eyes, "Well thank you James, I really like you too…" he said awkwardly.

"No I don't think you understand…"

"What?" asked Snape, looking up at James with wide eyes.

"I…" James turned his back on Snape, and Snape knew that James was embarrassed, "I want to be with you…I want to go out with you…I am sorry I teased you so much! I was so jealous…"

Snape didn't know which issue to deal with first, so he chose the latter, "Jealous of _what_?!"

"Of Lily Evans…You were always staring at her, you loved her…"

"James…" Snape whispered, wrapping his arms around the brunette from behind, "Lily wasn't the one I was looking at…"

"What?"

Snape gently kissed the back of James's neckline, and James whirled around with a scared look in his eyes, but then calmed down, and kissed Severus delicately on the lips.

Time flew, and Severus was staring at James being a loud distraction in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Today we will be learning about Patronuses. These mysterious beings can lend a good helping hand in a time of need…alright everyone…_Expecto Patronum!_" A jet of white light spewed from their Professor's wand, and a bright Unicorn thundered around the room.

The class was left to their own devices to practice this charm. James tried, and failed, but on the second great bellow of the spell a white stag appeared. Snape blushed, and drew his own wand.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" and at that, on his very first attempt, a doe pelted from his wand-tip.

Peter Pettigrew spun around in his chair, and tugged on James's sweater, "James, look! Snivillus is copying your patronus!"

The class turned to see the doe, and everyone laughed but James.

"Lily has a doe too!" said Sirius Black, an old friend of James, but the class ignored and taunted Snape. James ran in front of him,

"Just Shutup you guys." Said Remus Lupin, the peacemaker of James's group, but he was ignored.

"I agree, leave _**SNAPE**_ alone." said James in a serious tone.

"C'mon James I am just playing around!" defended Peter.

"I don't care, give the guy some credit. Where is YOUR patronus Wormtail?!"

The child Snape timidly smiled at James, and James moved over to Snape to talk with him instead of Peter.

Time spun around Severus again, and he saw various precious moments spent with his best friend, Lily Evans…then he was under control of Voldemort…a seventh year…and then...time spun quicker than lightning, but was over in a second.

"James…Lily Evans is in love with you…" said Severus bitterly.

"Okay…"

"You're hanging around her an awful lot lately…"

"No I'm not." James replied shortly.

"Don't even lie to me James, just what is going on?!"

Snape's arm burned, pain like poison swam through him, and he heald his arm steadily, "Seriously James, just tell me!"

"Nothing…" James's face was now downcast.

"James…you're mine. I will be second to none."

"I JUST CAN'T BE WITH A DEATH EATER!" James blurted suddenly, his face reddened, and tears blotting his cheeks. Snape stared at him in disbelief.

"You can't be serious? Is this really what this is all about…? It's not that big of a-"

"Big of a deal?! Snape, I am not a follower of your 'Dark Lord,' and I never plan on it. As much as I love you…I can't do this any longer…"

"But we can still be together…"

"You can't put both of us through this! You know how this will end…wand against wand."

"No it won't!" bellowed Snape, "It will work out I promise you!"

"Severus, can't you see that you are breaking my heart?!" James yelled, the tears in his eyes were now staining his face. Snape ran. He ran as fast as he could to the shrinking shack…a place no one would find him, and crumpled to the floor. James would then go onto marry Snape's best friend. Perhaps he did it because she reminded James of Snape…? Everyone would later come to think that it was Lily that Snape had always loved…

He saw himself fall before Dumbledore, a broken man…Was James really dead? Did Voldemort see the love Severus had for him as some sort of weakness? Why was James dead…and it was all Snape's fault…

Snape sunk back into reality. A space in the shrinking shack shimmered, and a shadowy figure appeared from underneath it. It was a familiar old invisibility cloak.

"_James_…?" he had formed the words with his mouth, but all that came out was a thick gargling sound, and it was his blood that he heard. No, this was not James. James was dead, and those eyes…those traitorous eyes pierced through the dying man's heart harder than the stinging venom surging through his veins. The man knew what was coming…peace.

Snape could hear James calling him from somewhere far away, but it was his son, Harry that now stood before him. Staring down at him, the wall between life and death between them grew now like a thorny rose bush, tangled and impossible to penetrate, but there was still one thing that Severus wanted to do. Shaking, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small jar of silvery liquids. He gripped it somewhere in Harry's general direction; pathetic as he looked he knew it was the most important thing. Harry had to know that Snape just wanted to protect him, because of his past relationship with James…even though he might never find out about that. Harry was a small almost perfect replica of James Potter, except for those eyes. Those eyes ran through Snape like fire.

"Look at me!" Snape ordered, it was his last wish after all. Harry looked at Snape steadily, and Snape's eyes were filling with tears. He saw James in front of him. The young James he had known and loved so long ago, the one he still loved. Replacing green with deep brown, he let go of reality, and Severus Snape was no more.

**The End**


End file.
